YOU never forget your first time, so wherever his career may take him, David Pipe is always likely to have a soft spot for Kelso.
Following in father's footsteps can be a daunting enough task, but when dad Martin is the most successful National Hunt trainer in history and has been awarded the CBE for his services to the sport, you might think retracing those steps becomes mission impossible.
Apparently not, because the handover of power has gone like clockwork.
Pipe junior has carried on the tradition of saddling winner after winner after winner, and having been in charge for only a year, his tally already stands at an impressive 141.
This afternoon, he returns to where it all began 12 months ago when Standin Obligation scored at the Borders track to become David Pipe's first winner in his own right. That it went off at 1-6 doubtless made it less memorable for punters than it did for the man himself, but he enjoyed the moment because he's back for more - and likely to get it.
His representative in the novices' chase this time round is My Immortal, who'll be ridden by new stable jockey Tom Scudamore, and while it appears he only has to jump round to win, the downside of that is that his starting price is likely to be only a tad more generous than Standin Obligation's was.
Mumbles Head, who scored twice in three days at the recent Perth Festival, should be another short-priced winner, while Barracat doesn't have too many miles on the clock so looks the safest option in the opener.
The race of the afternoon is the Charles Church Chase in which another Bowen inmate, Ballycassidy, bids to land his first success since scoring at Perth over a year ago.
After unseating his rider in the Grand National, he ran well to finish sixth in the Scottish equivalent. This is the time of year when Ballycassidy normally comes good, so he'll be a big threat to all.
Even so, it may be worth sticking to Richard Burton's front-running mount Scots Grey, who has won his last two hunter chases and who could be difficult to peg back.
Saif Sareea was an easy winner over course and distance last month, but a ten pounds rise for that success makes his task a whole lot tougher today, so Crathorne is much preferred.
The Pipe team will have hopes of landing the last as well with Marcel, but Peter Monteith's Locksmith, who was once a resident at Pipe's Pond House, could hardly have been running any more consistently of late and deserves to get his nose in front. What you deserve and what you get isn't always the same of course, but this should be one of the occasions it is.
It's obviously going to be a busy day for young master Pipe, but if he could just fit one more thing into his hectic schedule I'd be much obliged it is to make sure Go Solo lands the nap at Exeter this evening.
• Septimus made a victorious comeback with a game display in the High Chaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.
Out of action since returning sore from last year's Vodafone Derby, the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt took this Group Three heat in good style under Seamus Heffernan.
The 2006 Dante Stakes winner was in second place early on as Championship Point, representing Mick Channon and Darryll Holland, made the early running. Septimus (4-1) laid down an irresistible challenge in the final quarter of a mile, however, and stayed on strongly to hold Fracas by a length and a half.
• Scottish jockey Greg Fairley was yesterday hit with a three-day suspension (18, 20, 21 May) for careless riding aboard Ramatni, runner-up in the EBF Primrose Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Warwick.
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